Randy L. Swing, Co-Director, Policy Center on the First Year of College & Bradley E. Cox, Coordinator of Research and Public Information, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, 2005

This typology of Instruments for Assessment in the First College Year begins with a description of six different types of assessment instruments. The typology concludes with a list of instruments currently available in each of the six categories.

Pre-Enrollment/Baseline DataThese surveys are administered in high school, during the admissions process, or during new student orientation. Survey participants report their expectations, impressions, goals, and/or hopes for the college experience or they report their pre-enrollment behaviors and experiences. These surveys:

Provide baseline data - Who are our students at the point of entry?

Form gain scores when matched with posttests.

Provide covariates & controls for advanced statistical evaluations.

End of First-Year SurveysThree assessment instruments, the NSSE, YFCY and CCSSE, were developed as part of The Pew Charitable Trusts accountability agenda for higher education. The NSSE and YFCY are designed primarily for 4-year institutions. Both survey students near the end of their first year in college. The CCSSE is designed for 2-year institutions and surveys a random sample of courses (so it is not limited to first-year students.) The NSSE is also intended for use with seniors. The YFCY survey can be used alone or linked with the CIRP Freshman Survey to form a pretest/posttest.

General Surveys of Student Behavior, Attitudes, Study Skills, Satisfaction, & ExperiencesThese surveys take a holistic approach by collecting information on a variety of college experiences and environments. Examples of topics:

Surveys of Specific Services/Units/ProgramsThese surveys deeply investigate a particular slice of the college experience with a series of narrowly drawn and specific questions about the full range of a given service, unit or program. Instruments may include demographic and self-report questions so that opinions can be disaggregated. Examples of available Instruments include those focused on:

academic advising

residence life

campus student unions

first-year seminars

Surveys of Specific PopulationsThis survey group also has a narrow focus, but these instruments primarily provide information to evaluate the experiences, satisfaction, etc. of a specific group of students across a range of services, behaviors, etc. Examples of sub-population instruments include:

adult learners

fraternity or sorority members

non-returning students

transfer students

Placement and Academic Knowledge Surveys/TestsThese instruments are designed to test academic knowledge and skills. Unlike opinion and satisfaction surveys, these instruments usually have a right answer and the student is judged on his/her ability to select the best (right) answer. Some instruments contain a mix of discipline topics, but it is more common for tests to be designed to measure one specific knowledge domain. The use of these instruments may vary depending on the timing of the test. For example:

Surveys given during new-student orientations are often designed to place students in the appropriate level of college courses based on knowledge at the point of admissions.

Surveys given in the sophomore/junior year may serve as formative evaluation of progress or be gateways to a major.

Surveys given in the senior year may serve as summative evaluation or as a posttest of institutional effectiveness.

In addition to knowledge testing, students may also be asked to self-report their gain in academic skills.